Mentions: bookcoffeehappy

There will be 2 separate winners. Each winner will receive 2 copies of the book…1 hardcover copy for them AND will also receive an additional hardcover copy of the book to donate to a classroom or library of their choice! Both books will be dedicated and autographed.

What a perfect time of year to be able to donate and share something so special with others. Any classroom or library would be lucky to receive a copy of this adorable book…and you can make it happen along with receiving a copy for your own family at the same time!

Synoposis from Amazon:

A big boy falls asleep and enters the magical world of dreamland. Soon his exciting adventure turns into a bad dream. Deep in sleep he uses his POWER OF THOUGHT to create a change. As he repeats the words “I Am Brave and Unafraid” his confidence grows, he faces his nightmare, and discovers what happens!

My Thoughts

I really love this book. It teaches such an important coping strategy in very child friendly terms. Having fears is such a common and real issue for children…this book does a great job of acknowledging those fears and teaching how to handle them in a straightforward and simplistic way. The illustrations are absolutely adorable! Ascetically it’s such a beautiful book. I love everything about this book and can easily see myself using the words “I am brave and unafraid” to help my children work through their fears should they arise in the future.

As a teacher, I would have loved having this book in my classroom! It would have been so helpful on numerous occasions. I can think of specific students from my years of teaching who really would have benefited from reading this.

This is definitely a book any parent, teacher, grandparent, or librarian should have.

My 6.5 Year Old Daughter’s Thoughts:

“I liked when he sang. This book taught me that even if we’re afraid of something we can still go and do it. I liked when the animals were sticking out their tongues! I want to read this book again.”

A Conversation with Arielle Turover Cohen, In Her Own Words:

Briefly give a description of your book:

A young boy falls asleep and enters the magical world of dreamland. Soon his happy dream turns into a scary nightmare. By using his power of thought he gains self-confidence and becomes brave, thereby transforming his nightmare back into a pleasant dream.

How did you create the idea for your book?

In the same night our two children complained of nightmares. Our daughter, who was 5 at the time, said the only way she knew how to deal with them was to come and snuggle with me in bed. Although I love snuggling with her, I wanted her to learn other ways to handle her nightmares.

“My love, do you know you can change your nightmare?”

“No.”

“The next time you see that scary lion change him into a birthday cake and blow out the candles.”

“But how can I do that Mama?”

“With the power of your thought. You control your thoughts. You choose what you dream about. If you don’t like your dream use your power of thought to change your dream. If you like your dream, use your power of thought to keep the dream going. Try it tonight”.

“I will Mama, goodnight.”

I then headed off to my son’s room. Even though the lights were out, he wanted me to read him another story. I said I would tell him a story instead. Together, we laid on his bedroom floor, covers on top, and the story of The Boy and The Bear began. He wanted it again. And again.The next day he wanted it before nap, and then again before bedtime. After about the 7th time of telling the story I thought to myself, “This is pretty good, I better write it down.” And so I did.

What audience would be most interested in your book?

2-8 year olds are most interested in reading the book. The audience most interested in buying the book are parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles to give as a long lasting confidence building book to their loved ones. This book is also very popular to give as a gift to pregnant mothers.

Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or your book:

I am a mother of 3 incredible children who inspire me daily. I receive great enjoyment in knowing my book inspires others.

***GIVEAWAY***

Would you like a chance to win a copy of this adorable book AND an additional copy to donate to the classroom or library of your choice?

There will be 2 separate winners. Each winner will receive 1 hardcover copy of the book AND will also receive an additional hardcover copy of the book to donate to a classroom or library of their choice! Both books will be dedicated and autographed.

The books will be mailed directly to the winners (US only for this giveaway). To be entered, please complete these 2 simple steps:

1. Follow and/or subscribe to my blog

2. Leave a comment below telling me about the classroom or library you would plan on donating the second book to if you are chosen

**You must complete both of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway**

Giveaway will end Friday morning at 6:00 CDT and the 2 winners will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday morning’s blog post.

Make sure you check back on Friday to see if you’ve won (you will have 48 hours from the time I post the winners to email me your mailing address. If I don’t hear from you, I will pick a new winner).

If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck! Can’t wait to read your comments!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog. Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy), follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

My birthday was yesterday and the entire perfect weekend was filled with fun, love, and joy.

Friday was spent with my favorite shopping partner, my mom! We had our annual visit to our favorite craft and gift fair and it was glorious as always. It happens over my birthday weekend every year and it’s such a fun way to start off the weekend.

I came home with such treasurers! 4 unicorn hair bows for my daughter, 3 bags of beef jerky for my husband, a new set of fancy sheets for our bed, and a new scarf for me because I can’t ever go shopping without buying myself at least 1 new scarf. Scarves are favorite accessory of all time although by this point I own way too many and I really need to stop buying more. Can’t. Stop. See this post for more details on the background of my obsession: The Ultimate Throwback to my 20’s and Early 30’s Book Series

I bought my son a custom Mickey Mouse CD where the characters sing each song using my son’s name. The man at the booth told me that the characters will say or sing his name for a total of 70 times throughout the songs on the CD! I wish I had taken a video of the look on my son’s face when we were driving yesterday afternoon and he heard the CD. “MOMMY! Mickey knows my name!” “MOMMY! Goofy knows it too!” Best $22.00 I have spent in a very long time.

Another booth had these gorgeous handmade wooden boxes, hand painted mason jars, and different types of flowers. So many colors, so many sizes, so many sayings. I spent a LONG time choosing the perfect combination and I could not love it more:

We came home from the craft fair and soon were off to the biggest event of the day…my daughter’s school talent show! She was one of the youngest in the show and while she was up there dancing, I watched in awe through the blurred vision from my tears. Her confidence amazes me. She did a solo act! She nailed it, she looked beautiful, and the best part…she had so much fun. There are those special moments as a parent where you can literally feel your heart bursting with pride and love and Friday night was a perfect example of that for me. Aaaaand now I’m crying as I type this. I love being a mom so much.

How sweet are my in-laws?!?

Saturday proved yet again that nobody has better friends than I do. It was pouring outside, it was freezing outside, and there was traffic. And yet…my girls were determined to take me downtown so the 4 of us could have a city day in honor of ME! I offered numerous times to change our plans but they simply wouldn’t hear of it. So they picked me up and downtown we went (over an hour drive) into the most gorgeous city in the world. I lived in downtown Chicago for 8 years before I got married and a piece of my heart still lives there. My favorite city in the world. It’s gorgeous all year round but during the holidays the whole city absolutely sparkles. It’s just so magical down there. We shopped, we laughed, we ate. A perfect day.

Rain didn’t stop us:

4 Jewish girls with 1 stunning tree:

Grand Lux Cafe for dinner:

I came home after the kids were in bed and noticed this note on my daughter’s door (apparently she hid my presents under her bed):

Sunday morning on my actual birthday my husband and I were woken up quite early by 2 very excited children singing “happy birthday”. They climbed into our bed as I was still half asleep and my birthday began with homemade cards, balloons, gifts, and a unicorn cake. Perfection.

My daughter’s gift blew me away as it does every year. She is the most thoughtful little girl I have ever met. She had Jon take her to a bookstore, went to the new release table, and picked out the book with what she thought had the prettiest cover. As surprised as I was to receive this gift, she was even more surprised when I told her that Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite authors and I’ve been DYING to read her new release!!! In fact, I commented on that just last night when my friends and I were at a bookstore in the city! How did she know??? Mothers and daughters just have that special connection 🙂 Have any of you read this yet? She also bought a Junie B. Jones box set for her and I to read together. She told me that she wanted me to have some new books to put on my blog 🙂 Sweetest girl! A perfect gift. Truly touched my heart.

Aaaaaand my 2.5 year old son’s gift for me. He picked it out all by himself:

I don’t particularly care for trucks but guess who does…

Amazing.

And the balloon he bought for me. We’re Jewish, lol.

My sweet little boy. LOVE!

My husband’s gift was exactly what I ask for every year: something fun for us to do together as a family. So in a few weeks, the 4 of us will be spending the night at Great Wolf Lodge in a suite and we all can’t wait! Perfect.

I’m over wanting fancy purses or expensive jewelry for my birthday. Quality time with just the 4 of us is EXACTLY what I always want and that’s exactly what yesterday consisted of.

The 4 of us went out for breakfast (my favorite thing. I always LOVE going out for breakfast and we try to do it at least once per weekend). I ate lox, drank coffee, and watched my daughter get the hiccups from laughing at my son who was shoving banana slices directly into my mouth with his sticky syrup fingers.

Our next adventure was Legoland! We spent hours riding rides, building with Legos, watching 4D movies, and so much more. It’s so amazing there and a perfect way to spend the day.

There was one point where the kids were playing together on the climbing structure and they were laughing so loudly. I turned to my husband with tears in my eyes and told him what a perfect day it was.

Rainforest Cafe for lunch. We sat by the gorillas, bought toys in the gift shop, and my kids loved every second.

Home for a unicorn cake and singing happy birthday with 2 excited kids on my lap the whole time.

How gorgeous is this cake???

It was so delicious.

And then…the day switched. My birthday was over and suddenly HANUKKAH was here!

Our menorahs. Jon and my daughter made hers when she was 1 and him and my son made his last night while I was downtown! Both were Hanukkah presents for me. I cried when my daughter gave me hers and all of these years later I cried when my son gave me his. So, so special.

My daughter’s has melted wax all over it from it’s many years of use and with each new bit of wax, I love it even more because of it’s memories. The year that Jon and I got married, I bought us a gorgeous silver traditional menorah that we used for a few years. Once my daughter made this one, it’s the only one we’ve used since. And now we have 2! One parent holds 1 kid while they light the candles while the other parent holds the other kid while they light the candles. And to the kids, picking out the candle colors is always part of the fun. I love Hanukkah so, so much. Always have.

When I was a little girl, my parents used to wrap all of my presents and put them out for me on the first day. Each night for the eight nights, I was allowed to choose one gift to open. I remember making charts and obsessively thinking about which gift I would open that night during the school day. Should I open the big silver one tonight or save that one for tomorrow night and open the tiny pink one tonight? Thoughts such as this would consume me for the entire eight days and it was so much fun. I always knew that it when I had my own kids, I would absolutely continue this tradition. Jon and I have done this for kids since my daughter was born. Whichever gift she would put her hand on when she was a baby was the one she “chose” for that night! Now her choices are a little bit more strategic. My son absolutely loves opening gifts but doesn’t quite understand why he is only allowed to open one each night, LOL.

This year, things were a bit different. My daughter has been begging us for years for a hamster and this was the year that my husband and I decided to make her dreams come true! She’s been telling us for months that she has this vision where she would come downstairs to all of her gifts and one of them would have holes poked in it… and she would open that one right away because her hamster would be waiting to meet her! So we did exactly that. See video below (make sure your sound is up). ***the hamster was wrapped up like this for only about 2 minutes before the box was opened***

I’m trying hard to keep my kids and their names off of my blog for privacy reasons so I’m not going to share the video of when she came downstairs. Just know that it was amazing and a moment that none of us will ever forget.

Welcome to our family, Fluffy Rose!

Birthdays in my 20s were filled with alcohol, body glitter, dancing, leather pants, bars, and hangovers. Birthdays in my 30s were filled with learning to celebrate while holding new roles in my life…first as a new fiancee, and then as a new wife and finally (twice!) as a new mom. Birthdays in my 40’s are now filled with the 3 most important parts of my life: love, family, and friends. It’s about surrounding myself with the people that I love the most and who love me right back. It’s about taking the time to reflect upon my life and how much I truly am able to celebrate all of the day to day beauty it contains. If you would’ve asked me 10 years ago where I saw myself today…I’m exactly where I have always wanted to be. Married to the love of my life and a stay at home mom to my 2 beautiful children. Admittingly I never envisioned the hamster in this scenario but I’m welcoming the new addition 🙂

The very best part of the entire weekend? As I was about to make a wish and blow out my candles, I was struck with the realization that there was truly nothing I wanted to wish for.

I already have everything I could ever want.

Xo,

Jenny

A very Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

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I hope you are having a great week. We are slowly still getting back into routine after having almost a week off of school for Thanksgiving Break and an unexpected (but so glorious) snow day!

The snow is slowly starting to melt and it’s making me sad. I’m already ready for another huge snowstorm! I just love winter so much. Everything is so breathtakingly beautiful here right now, I could never live in a place that didn’t get snow!

What I DON’T love is the fact that my town apparently has some new kind of fancy LED stoplights and they don’t melt the snow when they are covered (insert face plant emoji here). I live in a large town! In a suburb of CHICAGO! This is not the first time we’ve had snow in this area…It’s insane. There have been tons of car accidents over the past few days while the fire department is apparently trying to manually clear them off. How crazy is that?! It’s been scary to drive around here…but not scary enough that I was prevented from picking up Chinese food for dinner last night. #priorities #favoritefood

I have such a great giveaway for you today! But first..Day 2 of the Quotes Challenge:

3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge

Thank you so much Facing the Story for nominating me to take part in the 3 Days, 3 Quotes Challenge! Here are the rules:

I absolutely LOVE this book. Like…really love. The message behind it basically is for kids to leave toys they no longer play with in a bag for Santa. Santa’s elves can fix them up to be like new again and can give them to other kids so they can have presents on Christmas. Santa takes the toys but leaves the bag behind so kids can fill it up year after year.

Each book comes with this awesome (large) bag for children to fill with toys that they no longer play with and can leave for Santa:

This would be a perfect book for any parent, grandparent, or teacher. As a former teacher myself, I can easily imagine the wonderful class discussion about charity and generosity that could occur after reading this aloud. My students would have loved this book!

As a fun bonus…check out the adorable way this book and bag were shipped to me! When I opened my mailbox, I was greeted by the cutest and most festive packaging. If you win this giveaway, yours will also be shipped from the author in this adorable packaging! If you don’t have children at your house, this can be shipped to another address where a child can be greeted with this adorable package. I couldn’t wait to rip it open!

It’s such a cute book with such an important message. Teaching children about the importance of charity is a year round lesson but especially during the holiday season. The illustrations are wonderful, the rhyming is wonderful, everything about this book is wonderful. I absolutely loved reading it. The icing on the cake is that a portion of each book sold goes to Toys for Tots.

A Conversation with Kendra Esbrook, in her own words:

Briefly give a description of your book:

Christmas is just around the corner! David and Will are busy making their list for Santa. Suddenly a troublesome thought enters their minds; what if the Elves can’t make all the toys? The boys have a brilliant idea, one that will help Santa get toys to everyone when the elves are behind.

How did you create the idea for your book?

I’m a stay-at-home mom who wanted a better tradition than Elf on the Shelf. I wanted my kids to understand the joy of giving. So when I saw all the personalized bags from Santa to the kids being sold I asked my friend to make us one from the kids to Santa, and we started leaving old toys for him. I couldn’t believe no one else had written about it yet, so I did!

1. Follow and/or subscribe to my blog

**You must complete both of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway**

Giveaway will end Friday morning at 6:00 CDT and the 3 winners will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday morning’s blog post.

Make sure you check back on Friday to see if you’ve won (you will have 48 hours from the time I post the winners to email me your mailing address. If I don’t hear from you, I will pick a new winner).

If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck! Can’t wait to read your comments!

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog. Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy), follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!

There is a ridiculously amazingly awesome amount of snow here! I. LOVE. WINTER. My children are home from school, my husband is home from work, and my heart is so very happy. We are safe, we are warm, and my father is coming over this afternoon for the annual “Snow Picnic” that my kids wait all year for. It’s going to be a good day. A very good day indeed.

3 Days 3 Quotes Challenge

Thank you so much Facing the Story for nominating me to take part in the 3 Days, 3 Quotes Challenge! I gladly accept 🙂 Here are the rules:

RULES:

Thank the person who nominated you.

Post one quote per day for three days.

Nominate three blogs per day to take part in this challenge.

I don’t post every single day but I will take part in this for 3 consecutive blog posts. For Day 1, I’ll leave my absolute favorite quote of all time:

“I always knew I’d look back on the times I had cried and laugh but I never knew I’d look back on the times I had laughed and cry.”

That quote was written in my senior yearbook from high school as my favorite quote and over 20 years later it’s still my favorite. Since becoming a mother, it has taken on an entirely new meaning! I love it so much and I think of it often.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned – from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren – an enigmatic artist and single mother – who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the alluring mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When the Richardsons’ friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town and puts Mia and Mrs. Richardson on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Mrs. Richardson becomes determined to uncover the secrets in Mia’s past. But her obsession will come at unexpected and devastating costs to her own family – and Mia’s.

Little Fires Everywhere explores the weight of long-held secrets and the ferocious pull of motherhood-and the danger of believing that planning and following the rules can avert disaster, or heartbreak.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

4 Stars

When this book was first released last year, it was literally FLYING off of the shelves. I was #32 on the library wait list and painfully checked the library website every single day to see how many readers were in front of me (does anyone else do this??) My family and I were on a vacation in Mexico during the painful wait list time. I was reading (and not enjoying) this book (click the link to read my review): A Stranger in the House {Shari Lapena} while the lady next to me at the pool was casually lounging and reading Little Fires Everywhere (affiliate)! I was so jealous! I kept glaring at her and she obviously had no idea why, lol (although some of that could have been that she was spending more time talking to her husband than actually reading the book and clearly didn’t realize how lucky she was to be holding it but I digress).

We came home from our glorious Mexican vacation and a few weeks later…I got THE call! The book was waiting for me! I drove straight to the library that day, I couldn’t WAIT to dig into this book.

My thoughts in a nutshell?

This book was great…but…I don’t think it quite deserves all of the hype that it has received.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved it. Like everyone does. The story lines as well as the characters were complex, detailed, and interesting, Ng did a brilliant job of intertwining all of the characters and it made for a very interesting and intriguing read. However, with all of the hype surrounding this book, I was just expecting MORE. If the book weren’t so hyped it to begin with, I truly think I would have found it even more enjoyable. I spent the entire book just waiting to be blown away so when I wasn’t…it was a tiny bit of a let down.

Bottom Line:

Great book but not nearly as great as everyone says it is.

Did you read this book? What did you think?

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog. Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy), follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

I have so much to be thankful for. My family, my health, my friends, my house, and the fact that my husband works so hard which allows me the opportunity to stay home with my children. This is something that I never, EVER take for granted and am thankful for every single day of the year. Next week, I get to go into my son’s preschool class to help bake cookies and last week I was able to help with the book fair at my daughter’s school. Priceless. I love you, Jon.

I am so thankful for the most fun hobby I have ever had, Book Coffee Happy. It has allowed me some amazing experiences and opportunities and it’s only been 2.5 months. I’m SO thankful for all of YOU! I love “meeting” you and interacting with you. Thank you for your support. If you haven’t already followed/subscribed to the blog, I would be so thankful if you would.

My Thanksgiving yesterday was perfect. The morning began with my favorite Thanksgiving tradition of watching the Macy’s parade on TV with my family and ended last night with a delicious feast at my parents’ house. My mom made the most delicious dinner and her table was stunning as always. Tiny pumpkins with twinkle lights, candles, leaves, and glitter branches. My favorite part of dinner was the stuffing. She makes the absolute best stuffing!

A special thank you shout out to my cousin, Jessica, who after dinner taught me how to use Instagram stories! I joined Instagram earlier in the month and I’m slowly learning all of it’s features. Jessica and I made my very first “story” about my favorite book of all time from when I was in high school! Go check it out, the video of me talking is still up there. If you don’t already follow me, I would so love if you did @bookcoffeehappy. I had posted this picture earlier in the day:

Love.

Speaking of social media, I posted this on Facebook yesterday:

If you don’t already “like” my Facebook page (Book Coffee Happy), please do! There have been some awesome book discussions on there, thank you to those of you who have contributed.

I’m also on Twitter (@bookcoffeehappy) and would love if you followed me on there as well! I try to post different content on the various 3 platforms and have been loving watching all 3 grow!

If you didn’t win this one, no worries…I have a few AWESOME giveaways coming your way over the next few weeks! Stay tuned 🙂

And now…a book review!

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Shari Lapena’s newest book, An Unwanted Guest {Shari Lapena}. That book was great but this book was OUTSTANDING! I absolutely love this author and am waiting on pins and needles for her to write more psychological thrillers. If you haven’t read either of her books, I would recommend starting with this one…and clear your schedule for the next few days because you won’t want to do anything but read.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It all started at a dinner party. . .

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors–a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . .

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all–a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they’ve kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family–a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

5 Stars

YES. YES. YES. This book is FANTASTIC. It twists and turns in ways that I never saw coming. I couldn’t put it down, I loved every second. So clever, so well written, so amazing. There is nothing I love more than a book that simply will not allow me to put it down, and this was a perfect example. I carried this book around with me and read whenever I found a few minutes. I read it over 3 days but could EASILY have read it in one sitting.

This book is fast paced and easy to read. The chapters are quick and the story runs deep. And those twists…those TWISTS. Yessssssssss.

And the thing is, EVERYONE I know who has read this book has also loved it! In fact, I have yet to have someone tell me that they didn’t love it. It’s SO good. So, so good. You’ll love it.

Bottom Line:

This. Book. Is. AWESOME.

Have you read this book? What did you think? How was your Thanksgiving? What are you thankful for?

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog. Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy), follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!

Click the image below to order the book through my Amazon affiliate link. When you order through this link, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo

Sex. This book has sex. Hot, steamy, mind blowing, amazingly delicious sex. Aaaaand if that doesn’t make you want to keep reading this post, I’m not sure what will, lol…

Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of this book to read and review for my blog. All opinions are my own.

Giveaway details will be given at the bottom of this post!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

One bet. One passionate weekend with a mysterious stranger. Endless heart break. Cynical event planner Lucy doesn’t have time for love. She’s focused on her career and planning the hottest wedding in Chicago. A wedding she never thought her firm, Dreams DLC, would win. She was so confident, in fact, that she agreed to a rather unorthodox bet with her friend, Trish. If Dreams won the pitch, Lucy would have a one-night stand with the man of Trish’s choosing. Now it’s time to pay up. Lucy doesn’t do one-night stands. Period. But she’s loyal to the core, so she can’t help but honor her commitment. Trish scouts out the perfect man who’s sure to bring Lucy out of her shell. He agrees to the deal, so Lucy makes a term of her own: no names, no personal details. Her handsome stranger agrees, and what was supposed to be one-night turns into a weekend of passion that tests Lucy’s boundaries. Lucy falls hard only to never hear from him again. She searches for answers, but it’s difficult to find someone who’s anonymous. Lucy struggles with moving on until she meets James. James is her perfect match: kind, funny, patient, and giving. His only flaw is that he isn’t him–Mr. Anonymous. Lucy realizes she must stop chasing the ghosts of her past if she wants a future with James. But that’s the thing about ghosts. You never know when they’ll come back to haunt you.

My Thoughts:

(Disclaimer: I will never post spoilers in my reviews HOWEVER the comment section is completely fair game to discuss any and all specifics including spoilers)

Loved it. Couldn’t put it down. Immediately drew me in from page 1.

I absolutely adore when a book keeps me guessing the entire time with how everything will turn out in the end. There were so many story lines and I think she did a great job with how they all turned out. So many different themes were discussed in this book—love, friendship, loyalty, abandonment, honesty, family, etc. The characters were interesting and the story lines were well developed. I found the chapters to be a perfect length which held my interest and made me want to read further.

And the sex. OHHH the sex. There were some very detailed and descriptive scenes in this book. If you don’t mind some heat, you’ll love reading this book. I know I sure did 😉

Insider scoop: JB Glazer just finished writing the SEQUEL to this book! As I told her when she shared this information with me…COUNT. ME. IN. I can’t wait to continue the journey with these characters and see how their stories will continue to unfold. Fingers crossed for more steamy sex scenes…

Bottom Line:

Ladies, you will love this sexy book.

A conversation with JB Glazer, in her own words:

Briefly give a description of your book:
Cynical event planner Lucy shares a passionate weekend with a handsome stranger as
a result of losing a bet. It’s so out of character that she wants to keep their names
anonymous. She falls hard only to never hear from him again. Lucy struggles with
moving on and finally meets an incredible guy who is perfect for her. But can she let go
of her “Mr. Anonymous?” And is she in love with a ghost because it’s easier than facing
the possibility of having the real thing? Along Lucy’s search for love her loyalty will be
put to the ultimate test. In Search of Mr. Anonymous tackles topics such as love and
loyalty, and how even the best of intentions can lead to devastating consequences.

How did you create the idea for your book?
I’ve always found it interesting how Millennials are more open to sharing information
about themselves online. My last novel, I Should Have Said Yes, touched on this idea
because I think people find it’s easier to express themselves when they can hide behind
the anonymity of a screen. I started to wonder would the same philosophy apply in real
life. Is it easier to give into temptation and do or say things you normally wouldn’t
knowing you may never see someone again? I explored this concept by having Lucy
agree to a one-night stand as long as they kept their names anonymous.

What audience would be most interested in your book?
Women ages 18+ who like a bit of sizzle, a dash of drama, and lots of heart.

Where can your book be purchased?
My book can be purchased at most major retailers including Amazon, iBooks, Kobo,
Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and more. For about the cost of a cup of coffee, you can
indulge in something steamy, spicy, and hot!

Any additional information that you would like to provide about you or yourbook:
In Search of Mr. Anonymous follows Lucy on her journey to finding love and herself in
the process. While I hope the ending will satisfy readers, the story is far from over. This book is part 1 of a 2 part series. The sequel, Finding Forgiveness, will be available in early 2019.

As for me, I believe in writing books with relatable characters, dramatic happy endings, and that a daily dose of chocolate is one of life’s necessities. ☺

***GIVEAWAY***

Would you like a chance to win a copy of this HOT story?

I have TWO copies of In Search of Mr. Anonymous to give away!

The US autographed book will be mailed directly to the winner and the international ebook will be emailed directly to the winner. To be entered, please complete these 3 simple steps:

1. Follow and/or subscribe to my blog

2. Leave a comment below telling me 1 sexy quality you look for in a partner

3. Please mention if you are in the US or are internationally located in your comment

**You must complete all 3 of these steps to be eligible for the giveaway**

Giveaway will end Friday morning at 6:00 CDT and winner will be randomly chosen and announced in Friday morning’s blog post. Make sure you check back on Friday to see if you’ve won! If you already follow and/or subscribe to my blog, you are still eligible…just leave a comment below to be entered 🙂

Good luck! Can’t wait to read your comments! (PS…I love TALL men even though I’m only 5’1. My husband is 6’3)!

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A few weeks ago on a cold, windy, and rainy afternoon my daughter had 2 of her friends come to our house for a play date. The 3 girls happily played board games and ate popcorn in the kitchen while I kept my younger son entertained upstairs to allow the older girls their bonding time.

About an hour into the play date, the door to my bedroom opened and my daughter walked in. “Mommy, will you please let me know when an hour has passed? We are going to silently read for an hour.”

Ummm….WHAT?! Did my 6.5 year old daughter just say that her and her friends would like to silently READ on their play date?!

I told her that I would keep track for her. She came upstairs every 15 minutes asking if it was time yet and I told her no. Eventually my son fell asleep and you KNOW where I immediately ran!

I couldn’t believe my eyes. 1 girl was on the couch. 1 girl was on the love seat. One girl was on the floor. All silently reading. Books everywhere. It was truly my version of play date heaven! They were beyond excited when I immediately ran back upstairs to get my own book so that I could join the fun (they told me there were 2 rules that must be followed: find a place to sit where nobody else was sitting and no talking. I silently took a seat on our leather bench).

The 4 of us silently read. Together. It was awesome. I was so happy and proud! Best play date ever.

It got me thinking of other times in my life where I enjoyed a book silently next to someone I love. When my husband and I were dating, we used to go out for weekend breakfasts and sit and read the newspaper together over coffee. Years later, I will never forget enjoying The Time Traveler’s Wife (affiliate) while floating on a raft in a gorgeous Jamaican swimming pool floating next to him (but this time he was no longer my boyfriend but my brand new husband) on our honeymoon. I read The Violets of March: A Novel (affiliate) days after I gave birth and laying in a bath was my only relief for the pain. I laid in that bathtub and read while my newborn daughter slept peacefully on floor of our bathroom on her Boppy Newborn Lounger, Elephant Love Gray (affiliate) (Side note: MY #1 NEWBORN MUST HAVE). And these days…my absolute favorite place to read is with one of my children peacefully sleeping on my chest (I previously had posted a picture of this happening in this post: My Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1 Picture From Each).

Reading has always brought me peace and happiness. Being able to experience that kind of peace and happiness while being surrounded by people that I love only adds to that experience. I like to think that even if she didn’t say it out loud, this is what my daughter felt during her play date. A proud parenting moment for sure.

As for her 2 friends? I told them that they are invited to our home anytime 🙂

What are your examples of reading next to someone you love? I would love to hear in the comments!

Happy Thanksgiving week, everyone! I’m thankful for YOU!

Xo,

Jenny

It would really help me if you could follow/subscribe to my blog. Also, please “like” my Facebook page (www.fb.com/bookcoffeehappy), follow me on Twitter@bookcoffeehappy, and follow me on Instagram (@bookcoffeehappy)!

When you order through any of the above affiliate links, I receive a tiny commission. Thank you for your support, Xo